IL6 and gastric cancer: Chemerin may act as a pro-invasive factor via induction of VEGF, IL-6, and matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) in GC, and the process relies on the phosphorylation of ERK1/2.101 ERK also mediates GC migration and invasion by regulating the activity of downstream proteins like MMPs.71 Other studies have demonstrated that RAS/MAPK signal transduction is involved in the proliferation of GC cells.